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Of all the joys that the pandemic
has robbed us of, not having physical farewell and convocation
ceremonies ranks pretty high for students. The outgoing batch of the National Institute of Fashion Technology’s (NIFT) Delhi campus was lucky enough to have a physical convocation. On Friday, the NIFT
Delhi campus hosted its 27th Convocation Day and 336 graduates, post-graduates and PhD scholars from the 2021 batch received their degrees from Union Minister for Textiles Piyush Goyal
The convocation also had Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Vikram Jardosh as the guest of honour and Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, as the special guest.
NIFT Students taking the graduation pledge
In a 90-minute-long ceremony held at the college’s amphitheatre, the students began with the graduation pledge wherein they promised to uphold the sanctity and dignity of their profession.
Students taking the graduation pledge
At the end of the pledge, Jardosh remarked, “It is a testament to the changing face of India that we could hear more female voices than male ones during the pledge.” Goyal began his address to the students with a promise. “I was told that parents (of the graduating students) couldn’t join the ceremony today physically due to paucity of space. But hopefully, in the coming years, we should be able to offer you a bigger amphitheatre at Pragati Maidan, where you could sit with your families for future convocation ceremonies,” he said. Addressing the students, he asked them to “show the world India’s strengths in fashion technology,” before adding, “I’m sure that’s what each one of you will do. My best wishes for a wonderful career!”
The outgoing graduates expressed their joy at having a physical ceremony. “Honestly, I didn’t think we would have a physical ceremony,” said Varnika Manraj from the Accessories Design Department, adding, “Due to COVID
, last year was a virtual ceremony. I am just so happy to see my friends again and have a chance to share this moment with them.” Others talked about the significance of this moment for them. Harneet Singh from the Fashion Communication Department said, “For me, this is not the end of anything but the beginning of a new journey. That needs to be celebrated and I am happy to do it with all my friends.”
The ceremony was also attended by many notable alumni from the institute, including designers Gaurav Jai Gupta, Suket Dhir, Manish Tripathi, Swati Kalsi and Roshan Baid.‘Let’s make India the fashion capital of the world’
In his speech at the convocation, Union Minister for Textiles Piyush Goyal touched upon the need to elevate India’s status in the global fashion fraternity and how the graduating students could play a huge role in it. “We need to promise ourselves that in the next five years, we will try to make India the fashion capital of the world. Let’s get luxury into handloom. Our Indian design products should be associated with luxury world over and brands promoted by you all should be known world over. It’s time India starts draping the world with the best of quality and best of products,” he said to the students. The minister also expressed a couple of wishes to the graduates and the institute as a whole. He said, “Hopefully, we should be able to designate NIFT as an institute of ational importance in the coming years. And I don’t know if we have the budget for it, but I hope to see a fashion show run by NIFT students at the Dubai Expo. Also, I would ask the NIFT management if they could think of weaving in some progam in their curriculum to give exposure to the students about handloom and handicrafts, and making them more aware about our traditional designs.” Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Vikram Jardosh also had a suggestion for the college. “We have the Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav coming up, where we will celebrate 75 years of independence. Our PM Modi
may not need any fashion advice, but I hope that NIFT can take the lead and design a uniform for all the other politicians for that event,” she said.


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Forza Motorsport takes photorealism to a whole new level. With incredibly detailed tracks and cars, intelligent AI Drivatars, and a fully realised dynamic weather and day-night cycle, you’d expect the on-track action to be resource-heavy on your PC. However, it’s an entirely different part of Forza Motorsport that will hog your graphics card.
Forza Motorsport’s livery editor is killing PCs
Many Forza Motorsport PC players are reporting that the game’s livery editor is maxing out their graphics cards. Some players are even saying that using the editor uses more resources than actually racing.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by user ForzaLiveryGuy, Forza Motorsport’s editor can use up to 99% of the graphics card’s processing power to render the editor, with all backgrounds also rendered when in the editor. This is similar to Forza Motorsport 7’s livery editor, where players also reported the editor crashing due to excess rendering.
This seems to be the cause of the issue, which is then exacerbated by players selecting multiple livery layers for their car designs. Rendering the full backgrounds, plus hundreds of vector-based layers, maxes out the graphics usage and causes major stuttering issues.
There is a way to bypass using Forza Motorsport’s editor but still create custom liveries. Players are using Forza Horizon 5 to create custom liveries, before importing those designs into Forza Motorsport. This does avoid using the editor but leaves players limited when it comes to car choice.
At the time of writing, this issue does not appear to affect Forza Motorsport players on Xbox Series X|S.
The editor isn’t the only issue affecting Forza Motorsport players right now.
Forza Motorsport players losing career progress
A game-breaking bug has been found in Forza Motorsport, causing many players to lose their career progress.
Players are reporting being stuck on a loading screen after buying or upgrading a car. Forcing a restart on the game then causes players to lose their career progress.
The bug also corrupts the save file, effectively rendering the game unplayable. This is because the save becomes desynced from Forza Motorsport’s cloud service, meaning that save can never be opened. With no way to delete this save file, the game then becomes stuck.
This issue isn’t affecting everyone, with some players being able to repeat races to recover their lost progress, but for those affected this is a pretty bad bug.
We’re hoping both this issue and the editor problems will be resolved with a day one patch, but at the time of writing this is yet to be released.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Forza page.

domain: news


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In 2022, China's new energy vehicles continued to grow explosively, with production and sales reaching a new high of 7,058,000 and 6,887,000 respectively, up 96.9% and 93.4% year-on-year, and remaining the top 1 in the world for 8 consecutive years.
After a decade of efforts, BYD（比亚迪） takes the lead among automotive companies with a total sale of 1,863,500 new energy vehicles in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 208.64%, which surpassed Tesla's 1,133,900 vehicles, becoming the world's top seller of new energy vehicles.
By now, BYD has been ranked the first in new energy vehicles in China for nine consecutive years and has become the first Chinese automobile enterprise to break through the trillion-dollar market value. Adhering to the principle of highlighting technology and innovation, BYD has mastered core technologies and launched important electrified products, such as blade batteries, DM-i/p hybrid technology, e-platform 3.0, etc., through which BYD has made great strides in the era of new-energy vehicles and has become a leading enterprise.
Innovation-driven development, independent and cooperative R&D of core technologies
Innovation and independent R&D of core technologies have been BYD's secret weapon. According to statistics, BYD has more than 40,000 R&D personnel. BYD's R&D investment has been stable at about 8.5 billion yuan since 2018, and in 2021, BYD's revenue is CNY 216.1 billion, and R&D investment is CNY 10.62 billion, with a year-on-year increase in R&D investment of 24.2%, which continues BYD's tradition of sustained high R&D investment.
BYD has launched blade battery technology, which ensures the safety of new energy vehicle batteries; DM-i hybrid technology, which realizes fuel-electric hybrid; CTB battery integration technology, which greatly simplifies the structure and production process; as well as a series of cutting-edge technologies developed specifically for new energy, such as e platform 3.0 and iTAC technology, which tackle with the safety, cost, and framework problems. Mastering the core technology leads to the cost advantage, so that the experience of high-end cars to achieve lower price, part of the model of the off-sale illustrates the strong demand in the market.
The electrification of new energy vehicles is the first half of the game, while intelligence is the key link in the second half of the game. BYD has taken advantage of the inherent advantages of new energy vehicles in intelligence, and has entered into co-operation with domestic and foreign well-known automotive automation leading companies such as Horizon, NVIDIA and Momenta, to jointly research and develop a standard platform for intelligent automotive platform. As the first and only new energy automobile enterprise in the industry that master the core technology of power battery, electric motor and electronic control system, the core components of electric vehicles), BYD is gradually forming a systematic closed loop on the research and development of new energy technology, thus promoting continuous growth and the new generation of products.
Rich Product Matrix and Brand Upgrade
The release of new technologies and brand upgrades are important driving forces for BYD to launch new models. Since 2008, the updating and iteration of the three electric technologies have contributed to the continuous improvement of BYD's new energy passenger car product matrix. At present, BYD's new energy passenger cars take into account both pure electric cars and hybrid cars, and the models cover sedans, SUVs, and MPVs. The models that BYD exports overseas - Han EV, Tang and Yuan Plus(ATTO 3) - are flagship models, which are conducive to building BYD's relatively high-end brand image in overseas markets, and can also guarantee a certain profit margin. The Yuan Plus is a volume model, and its compact size combined with solid range, power and handling levels are undoubtedly attractive products in the many countries where it is currently stationed. The newly launched Yangwang brand is BYD's real attempt to enter the premium market.
In October 2022, BYD participated in the Paris Motor Show, debuting its new energy passenger car matrix in Europe, where it went on sale and delivered in the fourth quarter of that year. Subsequently, BYD announced its plan to enter the Japanese passenger car market and held a conference in Tokyo to unveil the Yuan PLUS, Dolphin and Seal EV models, which target different price ranges, with the Yuan PLUS having gone on sale in January 2013, and the Dolphin and Seal expected to go on sale in the middle and second half of this year, respectively.
Accelerating Overseas Expansion through Oversea Value Chain Layout
The long-term impact of value chain layout on overseas business is extremely far-reaching. BYD is deeply committed to the overseas market and its value chain layout by building local R&D centres, vehicle and parts factories, logistics companies, etc., in order to enhance the overseas market insight and production and supply capacity, to reduce the cost of the vehicle, to achieve the optimal allocation of resources.
Taking the manufacturing chain as an example, BYD is committed to promoting localized production. In September 2022, BYD and WHA formally signed an agreement related to land subscription and plant construction, marking the official landing of BYD's first wholly invested overseas passenger car plant in Thailand. The plant is expected to start operation in 2024, with an annual capacity of about 150,000 vehicles, and the cars produced will be put into Thailand, radiating to the neighbouring ASEAN countries and other regions.
BYD will also expand its localized production strategy to countries and regions that are relatively easy to access, such as South America and Australia. Up to now, BYD has set up more than 30 industrial parks around the world, producing new energy vehicles in more than 70 countries and regions and over 400 overseas cities.
Focusing on Building Local Cooperation Ecology to Boost Sales and Services
With the development of overseas markets, the construction of cooperation ecology is an indispensable topic for car enterprises. BYD focuses on local ecological construction, different from the direct sales model of new power brands, BYD still adopts dealer distribution, and cooperates with local influential dealers to promote the sales and delivery of B-side vehicles. This can not only quickly build brand image and develop the market in the local area, but can also hand over after-sales links such as warranty, maintenance, repair, and rescue to local dealers, improve service quality, and significantly reduce costs.
On 1 August 2022, BYD announced that it had partnered with Hedin Mobility, a dealer group in Europe, to provide sales and service of new energy vehicles for the Swedish and German markets. The first pioneering shops were reported to have opened in October. The next day, BYD announced a partnership with Israel's Shlomo Motors to sell new energy vehicles there. The most notable announcement in October was the signing of a contract with German car rental company Sixt to deliver at least 100,000 new energy vehicles to Sixt over the next six years. According to public information, BYD currently has local dealers in Europe, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Central America and Australia to cooperate with the layout.
In addition to refining the traditional sales and after-sales links, BYD attaches importance to local cooperation in the new services and experiences, providing high-quality services adapted to local standards and needs in the areas of Internet of Vehicles, charging, and autonomous driving. In order to convince consumers to choose an unfamiliar Chinese brand in the European market, where fuel cars are still in the ascendant, the energy issue has to be resolved first, and the endorsement of a traditional company like Shell plc is of significant value. In March, 2022, BYD and Shell signed a global strategic cooperation agreement and an equity cooperation agreement in an attempt to optimise BYD's customers' charging experience by relying on the Shell's energy network business in the future expansion of the new market. The agreement aims to optimise the charging experience of BYD customers in new markets in the future. At the Paris Motor Show, BYD and Shell also announced the opening of around 300,000 Shell charging stations across Europe to further enhance the charging experience for European customers.
The Journey to Going Global is still Full of Risks
Although BYD has established the advantage in the direction of going overseas, it is still facing problems such as serious shortage of production capacity, lack of protection of overseas supply chain and service network, and untimely response to customer demand. According to relevant reports, "There are still hundreds of thousands of orders on hand, and production capacity is the main bottleneck, so we need to expand production capacity as soon as possible and ensure delivery, while focusing on qualitative growth as much as possible."
On the other hand, both the construction of factories and the layout of the supply chain means the expansion of expenditure. The layout of the whole industrial chain brings dividends for BYD, but also makes BYD's capital chain tight, and BYD's 69.3% gearing ratio in the first half of 2022 set a new record. Due to the heavy asset attributes, some of BYD's long-term assets also rely on current liabilities to provide a source of funding, and the long-term debt servicing ability is poor.
In addition, BYD has limited resources in overseas markets. The local government, media, industry associations and other external relations are difficult to establish; There is limited understanding of local laws and norms, financial, risk control, local user preferences and competitive landscape, etc.
Meanwhile, BYD's brand advantage is not yet obvious, and consumers in some overseas regions have low acceptance of Chinese brands. BYD highlights "cost-effective" which makes brand high-end and profit enhancement face difficulties. In Europe, BYD not only needs to face the competition of its domestic counterparts, but also collide head-on with Tesla.
BYD is also facing some potential risks, including rising prices of upstream raw materials leading to earnings pressure, price cuts for fuel cars to grab part of the market, and lower-than-expected sales of new-energy vehicles due to policies, regulations and changes in consumer demand affecting the penetration rate of new-energy vehicles.
As the world's largest passenger car market, China has the world's most competitive new energy vehicle market. Laying out in advance in the promising overseas market and cultivating new growth points will be a mandatory course for Chinese automotive enterprises and a necessary stage. BYD chose high investment, which has high requirements for its capital strength and product system, and is a strategy only suitable for big enterprises. Yet, BYD's mindset is a universal experience, that is, standing in a more macroscopic point of view to think about internationalization, with long-term thinking, not only the pursuit of short-term sales results but also the importance of a solid market foundation to pry the healthy growth of new overseas markets.


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American Honda Motor Co.'s Honda brand has a reputation for reliability, while its Acura is known for performance. Now the Japanese automaker is adopting a new positioning, setting itself up as the safety leader for drivers who want crash protection without a luxury-car price.
"Safety is a part of what people are looking for in long-term value and confidence," said Rob Alen, manager-corporate advertising for American Honda. "From the company's point of view, there's an element of responsibility to try to do the right thing."
New advertising is in the works from independent Rubin Postaer & Associates, Santa Monica, with a TV and magazine push slated for late fall. Honda signaled its direction earlier this summer with a single newspaper execution themed "Safety for Everyone."
The first Honda corporate safety ad is simple, listing equipment that will come standard on all but three Honda and Acura vehicles by the end of 2006. Nearly all models either already have, or will have many of the features, such as standard side curtain airbags, by year-end.
The safety features will come on all models, said Tom Peyton, senior manager-national advertising on the Honda brand. "Safety should not be relegated to a price-point," he said. "We see safety high on consumers' consideration list and we think it's the right thing to do."
danger of diluting image
Consultant Charlie Hughes is skeptical about the strategy. He cautioned that broadening an automotive position can confuse people and dilute a brand's status by siphoning marketing money away from the brand's core essence. "It sounds like the Volvo-ization of Honda," he said, a reference to the Ford Motor Co.-owned brand's longstanding safety positioning. "No one buys a product they think is unsafe."
Thomas Andersson, exec VP-marketing at Volvo Cars of North America, said he applauds other carmakers that focus on safety. "Every time someone does, our recall goes up," he said.
Acura will approach safety messages differently than its sibling. Susie Rossick, the brand's national advertising manager, said "safety is a given," taken for granted by buyers of premium vehicles. Still, Acura raises the issue in a "safety-through-innovation" area of its 2005-model brochures. Two TV spots for its new RL sedan, breaking in mid-October, will be more product-focused, as will the other eight TV spots for Acura vehicles, she said, adding that there will probably be a dedicated print ad on safety in December.
Mr. Hughes said the positioning could be in anticipation of federal standards that could force automakers to include certain safety features in their vehicles. (The government is considering setting standards for braking distances and tire sizes, and instituting rollover ratings).
"Honda's saying, `Let's be there first,"' he said.


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In the coming months the Irvine Spectrum Center will see three new restaurants opening and two others expanding.
Luna Grill, a Near East and Mediterranean restaurant with locations in San Diego, is slated to open this summer near the Edwards movie theater, according to a press release from the Irvine Co., which owns the shopping center.
The grill will offer kabobs a la carte, topped on salad or paired with other items. The restaurant will also serve gyro quesadillas, spicy cilantro hummus and falafel burgers. Prices range from $4 to $11.
The Greek and Mediterranean-inspired eatery Taverna Blu is scheduled to open by the fall near Barnes & Noble andMacy's. Spanakopita rolls, Greek meatballs, sandwiches and wraps will be on the menu. House specialties include grilled lamp chops and salmon lemonato. Prices ranges from $3 small plates to $21 house specials.
Pieology Pizzeria is coming to the Spectrum this summer with its second location, according to a news release. Its other location is in Fullerton. Yelpers note it for its "build-your-own" pizzas and interesting desserts, such as cinnamon strips and Ding Dongs.
Javier's Cantina and Grill will add a second patio this summer with fire pits and covered seating for 50 additional customers, the release said.
Wahoo's Fish Taco is also expanding its patio, which will wrap around the restaurant and include a new bar.
The Spectrum opened Cucina Enoteca, Paul Martin's American Grill, Capital Seafood and Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill in the last year.


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I was amused to read on the Turkish wires that the world's number two hacker - Ercan Findikoglu (who he? -Ed) - was apprehended recently as he was preparing to empty another million bank accounts electronically.
According to one Turkish report, whilst he could have got 200 years in prison in the US, he will get two to three years in Turkey for his crimes.
The bank hackers was caught (it says here) after a four year electronic chase by the Turkish Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Bureau.
When caught as part of Operation Virtual Earthquake, he apparently had the details of a million people's card accounts on him.
Incredibly, the Turkish Plod claim that one of his couriers was too lazy to carry a bag containing $400,000 to his family's second floor flat, so lobbed it on to the balcony.
Findikoglu, meanwhile, replaced a Lexus he bought last year from Dubai, saying that its white leather seats tended to become dirty too quickly. He bought a Range Rover for $120,000 to replace it.
Bizarrely, the story seems genuine in parts, but the some bits are a bit OTT.
I wonder what bits are true...


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Heavy demand, especially for the Islamic equities, dotted the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) this week, which also saw its chief executive sound optimistic on achieving the ‘developed’ market tag from the present ‘emerging’ status.
Domestic institutions were seen extending strong buying support this week which saw the Qatar Financial Market Authority give approval to the QSE’s amendments in rulebook relating to market makers and liquidity providers.
Trading volume, value and deals were seen more than doubling this week as the previous week had only two trading sessions in view of the Eid holidays.
The industrials and consumer goods counters witnessed higher than average demand this week which saw Mazaya Qatar enter into an agreement with Ariane Real Estate in developing a part of the mixed development project coming up in Mesaimeer.
The Gulf individuals and Arab funds were also seen bullish as the 20-stock Qatar Index shot up 2.03% this week which saw Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding (MPHC) report QR135mn net profit in the first half (H1) of this year.
An across the board buying was visible this week which saw Gulf International Services’ (GIS) H1 2020 net profit at QR54mn.
Foreign funds’ weakened net selling also had its influence on the market this week which saw Ezdan report net profit of QR172mn in H1 2020.
However, local retail investors were increasingly net profit takers this week which saw Mannai Corporation report net loss of QR203mn in H1 2020.
More than 57% of the traded constituents extended gains this week which saw Nakilat assume full ship management and operations of Q-Flex LNG (liquefied natural gas) carrier Al Sadd from Shell.
The Total Return Index gained 2.03%, the All Share Index 1.62% and Al Rayan Islamic Index 3.68% this week which saw the country’s producer price index increase 7.8% month-on-month in June.
Market capitalisation saw about QR9bn or 1.56% increase to QR559.34bn, mainly on large and midcap segments this week which saw as many as 165,181 Masraf Al Rayan sponsored exchange traded fund QATR valued at QR355,845 changed hands across 21 transactions.
The industrials index shot up 5.59%, consumer goods and services (3.64%), real estate (1.77%), transport (1.42%), telecom (1.07%), insurance (0.27%) and banks and financial services (0.23%) this week which saw a total of 83,261 Doha Bank-sponsored QETF worth QR773,952 traded across 23 deals.
Major gainers included Qatar German Company for Medical Devices, QIIB, Qamco, Industries Qatar, Gulf Warehousing, Masraf Al Rayan, MPHC, Aamal Company, Qatar National Cement, Qatar Electricity and Water, GIS, Doha Insurance, Barwa, Vodafone Qatar and Milaha; even as Qatar First Bank, Qatari Investors Group, Dlala, Commercial Bank and Baladna were among the losers this week which saw banking and industrials sectors together account for about 56% of total trading volume.
Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase this week which saw the industrials sector account for 31% of the total trading volume, banks and financial services (27%), consumer goods and services (21%), real estate (14%), telecom (3%), and transport and insurance (2% each) this week.
In value, the banks and financial sector’s share was 36%, consumer goods and services (23%), industrials (21%), realty (9%), transport (5%), telecom (4%) and insurance (2%) this week.
Domestic funds’ net buying increased significantly to QR123.81mn compared to QR87.76mn the week ended August 6.
The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR7.41mn against net sellers of QR5.71mn the previous week.
The Arab institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR0.37mn compared with net sellers of QR0.13mn a week ago.
Foreign funds’ net profit booking declined influentially to QR33.79mn against QR73.34mn the week ended August 6.
However, Qatari individuals’ net selling grew substantially to QR83.92mn compared to QR13.55mn the previous week.
Foreign individuals’ net selling strengthened drastically to QR6.1mn against QR0.58mn a week ago.
The Gulf individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR4.58mn compared with net sellers of QR0.39mn the week ended August 6.
The Arab individuals were net profit takers to the extent of QR3.49mn against net buyers of QR5.81mn the previous week.
Total trading volume more than doubled to 1.2bn shares, value more than doubled to QR2.18bn and transactions also more than doubled to 46,443.
The industrials sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 366.41mn equities and value also more than tripled to QR454.18mn on more than doubled deals to 10,796.
The real estate sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 166.67mn stocks and value almost tripled to QR199.58mn on almost tripled transactions to 6,555.
The consumer goods sector’s trade volume more than tripled to 249.88mn shares and value tripled to QR494.68mn on more than doubled deals to 8,680.
The banks and financial services sector’s trade volume more than doubled to 325.23mn equities and value almost doubled to QR788.55mn on 58% jump in transactions to 13,172.
The telecom sector saw 82% surge in trade volume to 38.83mn stocks and value more than doubled to QR898.62mn and deals almost tripled to 3,464.
The transport sector’s trade volume soared 42% to 29.04mn shares, value by 29% to QR106.55mn and transactions by 82% to 2,351.
However, there was a 7% decline in the insurance sector’s trade volume to 24.82mn equities and 14% in value to QR46.27mn but on more than doubled deals to 1,425.


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Improved Logistics and Supply Chain for Leading Paint Manufacturer
Helped stay ahead of tighter regulations while saving time and money
A leading paint and coatings manufacturer needed to reformulate its industry-leading aerosol product in the face of new environmental regulations for maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) values. The tighter restrictions, which impact the entire industry, presented the company with a unique opportunity to get ahead of the implementation of the regulations and solidify its leadership position with key customers, such as large home improvement brands.
After Nexeo Solutions’ lab services team tested several blending options for the new formula, the customer chose dimethyl carbonate (DMC), a colorless, odorless solvent that, unlike the xylene and toluene already in use at the facility, is exempt from regulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs).


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Now you've got more to thank Texas Instruments for than that TI-89 calculator that got you through geometry class. Today, the company announced a DLP HD chipset that will enable 1366 x 768-pixel video in pico projectors and other mobile devices. When projected onto a wall, the 16:9 aspect ratio video will span a 100-inch "screen".
The projectors will be released by more than 20 companies including Acer, Cinepic, Dell, Fujitsu, iGO, and Samsung. Like a proud tech innovator, Texas Instruments will be showing off the new pico projector technology as well as other devices with the picos built-in--such as smart phones (like this one), cameras, and camcorders with the attached projectors on the back--here at CES. We'll be there for hands-on time.
Stay in the know with Laptop Mag
Get our in-depth reviews, helpful tips, great deals, and the biggest news stories delivered to your inbox.


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With more content options and more ways to access content than ever before, Hispanic viewing behaviors are rapidly evolving, Horowitz Research’s FOCUS Latino 2016 study reveals. The study’s findings show that, mirroring the general market trend, Hispanics are shifting away from traditional live television. In 2013, Latino viewers reported spending 75% of their weekly viewing time with traditional sources (live, DVR, and VOD) and just 18% streaming. In 2016, traditional viewing has dropped to 58% and streaming has doubled its share to 36%.
The increase in streaming is evident across all acculturation segments. English-oriented and bilingual Hispanics have adopted streaming at a more rapid rate than their Spanish-dominant counterparts, and now spend about four in 10 hours of viewing time on streamed content. Spanish-dominant Latinos spend about three out of every 10 TV viewing hours streaming.
“There’s often a misconception that Spanish-dominant Latinos are less tech savvy and that they are heavily live-TV oriented,” says Adriana Waterston, senior vice president of insights and strategy for Horowitz. “But there have been major changes in viewing behaviors across all segments of the Hispanic market, including among Spanish-dominant Latinos. Access gaps are shrinking as more streaming platforms are offering content for this audience and marketing directly to them. There is a tremendous opportunity to super-serve this audience in the streaming space.”
FOCUS Latino 2016 is a two-part phone and online survey conducted among 876 Hispanic heads of households who are TV viewers (January 2016) and 450 Hispanic internet users 18+ (May 2016). The study focuses on the market for cable, broadband, and new media content, services, and technology among Hispanics.
[av_button label=’Learn More About FOCUS Latino’ link=’page,4177′ link_target=” size=’medium’ position=’center’ font=’entypo-fontello’ color=’theme-color’ custom_bg=’#444444′ custom_font=’#ffffff’ av_uid=’av-31x5lc’]
Adriana leads Horowitz's Hispanic and multicultural practice and has a passion for combating misconceptions about multicultural consumer segments. She has been named one of the industry’s “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” by Cablefax Magazine, and has received CTAM TAMI award for her work in multicultural marketing.


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We are happy to announce that we have appointed Fredrik Carlstedt as Senior Sales Executive at our office in Stockholm, Sweden.
Coronavirus – Customer Information
The Coronavirus has gripped many countries and Europe is now the epicentre of the outbreak. It is now labelled a Pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Learn more here
Kindly review our information on the extension of the application timeline for residence status for British citizens.
It is apparent that the shipping industry is suffering from extremely high price increases on containers from China to northern Europe. There has been an increase by over 700% in one year and this has a massive impact on the economy worldwide.


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Owner of Jim Dandy's in Rutherford vows to reopen after fire: 'It will be better than ever'
The owner of the popular barbecue restaurant Jim Dandy's in Rutherford vows to come back stronger than ever after a fire destroyed the eatery on May 13.
A colorful mural in front of the restaurant reads "we will be back soon," a statement that owner Brian Flynn wasn't sure he could make when the fire struck.
"We didn't know what we were going to do," Flynn recalled about the day of the fire.
The early morning fire destroyed much of the kitchen equipment and the rest of the restaurant suffered significant water and smoke damage, leaving Flynn with a difficult decision on what to do next.
Story continues below photo gallery
Much like restaurants across the country, Flynn said he had seen sales decline during the coronavirus outbreak but was surviving by doing takeout and deliveries and also selling essential items and food such as toilet paper, milk and eggs.
Flynn has seen a wave of support from the community, most notably in the form of a GoFundMe that was started after the fire that has raised over $15,000 for the restaurant.
"[The support] made me realize how important this establishment is to this community," Flynn said.
REBUILDING AMERICA:How businesses will reopen after coronavirus and navigate a new reality
The mural, made by volunteers with the Rutherford Arts Council, inspired Flynn to dedicate the foreseeable future to the rebuilding of the restaurant, which he hopes takes four months or less to complete.
Flynn has ordered new kitchen equipment and is conceiving a new design concept for the restaurant, although it will have a similar theme. The new design will be one that will provide a fresh look for the eatery while keeping social distancing in mind, as Flynn anticipates that the coronavirus pandemic will have a long-term effect on how people dine out, with over 157,000 confirmed cases in New Jersey.
With plans in place to reopen the restaurant, which opened in 2002, Flynn's main fear is that he will lose too many customers during the months-long rebuilding process but is confident that he will be back with a better restaurant than before.
"We will rebuild, it will be better than ever, and will continue to serve the community and support our nation's front line and veterans," Flynn said.
Anthony Zurita is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all the major news happening in North Jersey, subscribe here. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.


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Josh Carmenatte, freshman in agricultural business, has a passion for coffee and people. Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Carmenatte chose to attend Iowa State University due to its impressive agriculture programs and the connections he had at the school. As a Cyclone, he has been involved in The Salt Company, Change-Maker Academy, and serves as the vice president of Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS).
For Carmenatte, joining the Start Something College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Student Incubator program was "like a moth to a flame." He joined shortly after coming to college, realizing the benefits the program could provide him as he worked to develop his business. Carmenatte has joined his two passions, coffee and people, in his new business venture, a coffee roasting company. He plans to grow and sell the beans on a coffee farm in Guatemala, where his parents are originally from. Additionally, he'd like to have a coffee shop on the farm where the beans are grown and develop a successful coffee roasting business.
"I'm currently talking to coffee roasters and coffee shop owners and seeing how they go about their business, seeing their values and finding out who I want to be in the middle of all of it," comments Carmenatte. After graduation, he plans to move to Guatemala and purchase land to start growing the coffee as soon as possible.
The Student Incubator program has given him a community of support here at ISU. "I like talking to the other students and learning about the different business ideas and stages everyone is at, being able to help them as well as be helped," he explains.
When he isn't working on school, Carmenatte enjoys fishing, climbing, and eating - as long as there aren't any vegetables involved. "I hate vegetables. They're the grossest thing on the planet," he laughs. He also loves to swim and has swam in the Panama Canal.
We look forward to watching Carmenatte continue to grow his business idea during his next several years as a Cyclone!


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Apple has returned to public beta testing of its Mac operating system after a 14-year absence, just as rival Microsoft has begun backing away from the practice.
On Monday, Apple said that it would expand a small public beta program that launched in April to include OS X Yosemite, the visually-revamped upgrade expected to release this fall. Previously, only registered developers -- admittedly a low bar, as Apple lets anyone with $99 become one -- have been able to obtain Apple pre-release software.
"We're doing something a little unusual as well this summer. We're doing a public beta program," said Craig Federighi, who leads OS X and iOS development, near the end of his introduction of Yosemite at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference.
The peculiarity of Apple's move can be gauged by time that's passed since it last let the general public see its operating system in the raw: In 2000, Apple offered a "Public Beta," or PB, of what was then code named "Kodiak," which ultimately shipped as OS X 10.0, better known as "Cheetah." Apple charged customers $29.95 for the privilege, somewhat understandable because in those pre-broadband days Apple fulfilled the orders with a CD. Apple's refusal to beta test its software has not gone unnoticed. At regular intervals, usually right after the launch of a new edition of OS X, users who report problems will chastise Apple for not having widely tested the software before its release, assuming that if only Apple had, those bugs would have been found and fixed.
Microsoft knows better: Historically it has run extensive public beta tests of Windows, giving the public much longer looks than the five months Apple intends with Yosemite, and putting the OS into the hands of many more people than will Apple, which has limited the beta to one million participants. And still bugs make it through to the final Windows.
Yet betas are valuable, argued Wes Miller, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft who once worked at the Redmond, Wash. company as a program manager in the Windows Core OS team.
"Because we were dealing with 'white box' PCs that could have hardware or software from all over the place, bad antivirus, and more, betas -- and especially install fairs -- were useful to gauge real world experiences of what was, and was not working correctly, early," Miller recounted in an email reply to questions. "I saw them as an invaluable cycle of the development process."
In general, betas serve three purposes, said Miller: feedback on what new features are or are not working as intended, feedback on what once worked but now broken, and evangelization. "One can argue about the order of those in importance," he said.
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Showing of 0 - 10 from 1442 results
Gartner - Total results - 1442
Jun 16, 2017
More than 60 percent of security applications will be based in the public cloud by the end of 2017Growth in worldwide Cloud-based security services will reach $5.9 billion in 2017, up 21 percent from 2016.
Jun 07, 2017
Global server revenue declined 4.5 percent year-on-year: GartnerDell EMC was the only vendor in the top five to experience growth in the first quarter of 2017, the findings showed.
May 12, 2017
Businesses in Asia/Pacific region are behind global counterparts in digital maturity: GartnerTo achieve aggressive productivity gains, Asia/Pacific CEOs believe that conventional technologies (cloud, ERP, analytics and CRM) will help them.
May 10, 2017
Robots may replace trained professionals in medicine, law, IT by 2022: GartnerSmart machines and robots are likely to replace highly-trained professionals globally in tasks within medicine, law and IT by 2022, said research firm Gartner
May 09, 2017
AI powered robots may replace highly trained medical, law and IT professionals by 2022Smart machines and robots may replace highly-trained professional by 2022, market research firm Gartner has warned.
May 05, 2017
Spending on consumer video media services to hit $314 billion this year: GartnerGlobal spending on consumer video media services will total $314 billion in 2017, a 4.2 per cent increase from 2016, market research firm Gartner said on Friday.
May 04, 2017
Spending on IT infrastructure will reach $2.2 billion in 2017: GartnerDigital workplace is the new mantra for enterprises as more digital natives join the workforce.
Apr 24, 2017
About 62 percent of all the mobile phones to be sold in India in 2018 will be smartphones: GartnerSmartphones are expected to account for 62 percent of all mobile phones sales in the country in 2018, backed by increasing demand for these devices and governments push for digital currency.
Apr 21, 2017
Smartphone sales in India boosted because of adoption of digital paymentsThe rise of digital currency is bringing a new use case for smartphones, which, in turn, is set to trigger higher demands for smartphones.
Apr 14, 2017
Gartner estimates that global semiconductor revenue will increase by 12.3 percent in 2017Global semiconductor revenue will total $386 billion in 2017 - an increase of 12.3% from 2016, market research firm Gartner said on Thursday.


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By David Russell of OptionMonster
Staples is in need of a life line.
The deal could be valued at up to $6 billion following an auction for the office supply retailer.
The list is piling up.
The proposed take-private comes at a possible nadir for private equity's retail appetite.


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You have searched for "Morgan Stanley"
Showing 3951-3960 of 3992
Beijing is accelerating its bid for global leadership in key technologies, planning to pump more than a trillion dollars into the economy through the rollout of everything from wireless networks to artificial intelligence.
BEIJING: Beijing is accelerating its bid for global leadership in key technologies, planning to pump more than a trillion dollars into the economy through the rollout of everything from wireless networks to artificial intelligence.
NEW YORK: United States insurance policy comparison website SelectQuote Inc raised US$360mil after selling shares in its initial public offering (IPO) above its target range on Wednesday.
BEIJING: Economists broke down China’s annual policy-document dump and concluded that Beijing is holding stimulus measures in reserve in case the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic worsens significantly.
SHANGHAI: Xinhua has reported that the fact that the spread of the novel coronavirus has been effectively contained in China is a demonstration of the country's ability to handle a public health crisis, a US economist and China expert has said.
HONG KONG: Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent Holdings is testing the market's appetite for a U.S. dollar bond deal it plans to offer, according to a term sheet reviewed by Reuters.
Meituan Dianping founder Wang Xing’s fortune has nearly doubled since his company emerged from the depths of China’s Covid-19 lockdown, cementing his place among a generation of the country’s most prominent tech entrepreneurs.
TOKYO: Japan’s government is said to have increased the amount of bonds it plans to issue this fiscal year for the third time in under two months, seeking to fund its unprecedented economic stimulus.
Amazon.com Inc’s talks to buy driverless vehicle startup Zoox Inc has analysts speculating the deal could save the e-commerce giant tens of billions a year and put auto, parcel and ride-hailing companies on their heels.
TOKYO: Shimano Inc, a 99-year-old Japanese maker of brakes, gears and components, is poised to take advantage of the global surge in demand for bicycles across the globe as people embrace new modes of transportation due to the coronavirus pandemic.


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While we've already seen the first — a 3,000mAh battery add-on from popular accessory maker Mophie — we can confirm that it is available now in the U.S., at Verizon, for $79.99. That's the same price as those from Incipio and Tumi, except with a 36% premium in battery capacity. It's also slightly thicker as a result: 0.35 inches compared to 0.27 inches.
The Mophie Mod has another advantage: it can be separately charged via USB-C, which negates the need to have it attached to the Moto Z itself to juice it up, making it far more useful in a pinch.
Battery add-ons have proven the most popular category in the Moto Mods ecosystem, according to Motorola. Over 40% of those purchased to date have been batteries, and the company says that in an average week, 37 hours are spent with a battery add-on attached to the back of the phone. Many people leave their battery packs attached to the back of their phones on a semi-permanent basis.
Another new Moto Mod being introduced next week is an Incipio-built Car Dock, which leverages the magnetic back of the Moto Z series to make it easy to hold up the phone while driving. The dock itself uses a standard clip at the back to safely attach to a vent, but it overcomes the inherent problems of many of those designs by removing the weight-bearing clips in favor of a strong magnet.
At $64.99, the Incipio Car Dock is not cheap, and will only be useful for a certain type of driver, but because it automatically launches Android Auto upon connection, and has an Auxiliary cable to plug into a car stereo, its premium price does afford a few benefits.
Motorola is also committing to bringing four Mods to market every quarter going forward, which is an aggressive cadence for a nascent product category. That doesn't mean you'll see four battery packs, or even four Motorola-released add-ons every three months, but there's a confidence within the company we haven't seen since the first Moto X back in 2013. And it's infectious.
Some of that confidence can be attributed to the Moto Mods Developer Kit (MDK), which Motorola is encouraging hardware creators to build for over the next year or so, incentivizing them through a series of hackathons and an Indiegogo campaign.
Right now, the new Mods are only available at Verizon, but will be coming to Motorola's own online store fairly soon. As for the future, expect more Mods in early 2017, including one that enables Google's nascent Tango tech.
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Daniel Bader was a former Android Central Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor for iMore and Windows Central.


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Following the leak report of the rumored Generation 8 new Pokemon 891 which is found in the Pokemon GO network traffic, it seems like it is officially appearing in Pokemon GO, along with the Generation 3 Pokemon Kecleon.
The appearance report of Pokemon 891 started right after the Chikorita Community Day ended and even up to now, it is still flooding the wild in some regions of the world.
What Is Pokemon 891
While there is still no official announcement from Niantic about this unusual spawn of this new Pokemon, reports are that this new Pokemon is one of the upcoming Generation 8 for the upcoming Pokemon Let’s GO Pikachu and Let’s GO Eevee.
In the past few weeks, Gamefreek has been constantly teasing its fans that the first Generation 8 Pokemon would make their first appearance in Let’s GO Pikachu and Eevee. However, it came out earlier in Pokemon GO.
Kecleon Is Now Also Available In Pokemon GO
Apart from the new Pokemon 891, it seems like another missing Generation 3 Pokemon has become available in Pokemon Go. Similar to what happened to 891, Kecleon also started appearing in the game right after the Community Day ended.
While this event is a bit confusing and still no statement from the developer, Pokemon GO fans have started catching them. However, upon catching these new Pokemon, it turned into a normal form Ditto. Some also reported that Pokemon 891 and Kecleon also turned to Chikorita right after they caught it.


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NEW YORK (AP) — The second day of Fashion Week brought the fashionably familiar presence of Heidi Klum — but not as a judge or model. This time, she was a creative force of her own: A designer.___Add this to your grocery list: A leopard print pantsuit and sequin bomber jacket from supermodel Heidi Klum.The "Project Runway" and "America's Got Talent" judge showed off talent of her own with a new collection to be sold at the international supermarket chain Lidl."My inspiration was New York City. New York City to me was always the urban jungle. ... In the jungle you find animals. You find leopards," said Klum about the line, which includes lace and animal prints.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
MAY 06, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2014 - ALWAYS FASHION TALENT LTD.
Around the Web
- Heidi Klum goes supermarket chic with collection for Lidl
By The Associated Press - Thursday Sep 7, 2017
- The Top 10 Moments of New York Fashion Week
By THE NEW YORK TIMES - Friday Sep 15, 2017
Highlights from the shows, including a celebrity-packed front row at Calvin Klein and a trek to Bedford Hills, N.Y., to see Ralph Lauren’s vintage cars.
- Fashion Review: Tom Ford Exhumes the 1990s and It’s Almost Fabulous
By VANESSA FRIEDMAN - Thursday Sep 7, 2017
New York Fashion Week begins with a history lesson. And it’s a surprising amount of fun.
- Coat maker claims Vince Camuto ruined its business
By Lisa Fickenscher - Wednesday Sep 27, 2017
A New York-based coat maker claims Vince Camuto has left it in the cold as the fashion label cozies up with its new owner. Outerwear manufacturer Fleet Street Ltd. has filed a complaint against Vince Camuto Group with the American Arbitration Association, alleging that the fashion label has moved to give its women’s coat business...
- Some weird and wonderful moments of NY Fashion Week
By JOCELYN NOVECK, AP National Writer - Friday Sep 15, 2017
NEW YORK (AP) — What, really, is a fashion show? Discuss.Of course, there's the well-worn formula: People wait in line for ages, sit down, wait some more, look at clothes for about 10 minutes, spend another half-hour greeting and double-cheek kissing, then go do the same thing somewhere else.But lately, fashion shows have been stretching those boundaries. It's not a totally new trend, but the New York Fashion Week that ended Wednesday saw a fashion show as a dance performance, a fashion show as a vintage car exhibit, a fashion show as a rap concert/burlesque show (together!), a fashion show as an excuse for a big party, a fashion show as a female empowerment group and more.Some of it was weird, some wonderful, some both.
- Will this be Marc Jacobs’ last Fashion Week show?
By Alev Aktar - Wednesday Sep 13, 2017
In the spring, Marc Jacobs introduced a black trucker cap that read, “Make America Marc Again.” If only he could make it happen. The talented but troubled designer’s fashion house — which unveils its spring 2018 line at the Armory Tuesday night — remains in the red after several strategy changes. And this summer, rumors...


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Amidst Spotify Rumors, Facebook CEO Talks Music & Media
Chill Out! Spotify on Facebook Is Cool, Not a Game Changer.
Whoops: NFC Partner Spoils Google's Surprise Tomorrow. ViVOtech One Partner. Citibank Too?
Zune on Windows Phone Mango
HTC CEO says Windows Mango phones in development
All Decked Out — In early 2008, a London-based programmer …
Exclusive: Q&A With TweetDeck CEO Iain Dodsworth on His Sale to Twitter
Mac Defender: Pay attention but don't panic
Zuckerberg says not opening Facebook to under-13s
Comcast Testing Live TV Using Internet Protocol*


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If you own an iPhone 4 but know that Apple's smartphone can only connect to 3G-based wireless networks, you can considered yourself to be more enlightened than many other iPhone 4 users. According to a new study conducted by Retrevo, 34 percent of iPhone 4 users believe they own a 4G-based smartphone. In fact we may have to wait until at least 2012 for Apple to provide a phone that will use the LTE wireless networks from Verizon and AT&T.
In addition 24 percent of Blackberry owners also believe they have a 4G-based smartphone. The study states, "If nothing else this large number of 'misinformed' phone owners serves to emphasize the fact that consumers are quite confused about 4G." Indeed AT&T refers to its HSPA + service as a 4G network even as it prepares to launch its much faster LTE based network in select cities sometime this summer.
The study also asked participants if they would buy the next version of the iPhone even if it didn't support 4G wireless networks. Among current owners of the iPhone 40 percent said they would buy it anyway while another 21 percent said they would consider buying the iPhone with or without 4G support. 23 percent of Blackberry owners said they would definitely buy a new iPhone without 4G support. However just 8 percent of Android based smartphone users said they would go ahead and purchase a new iPhone without a 4G connection, indicating they seem to be happy with their Android phone.


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It looks like a watch, but the SmartSafe wristband does more than tell time. It enables users to wear their digital identity.
The security device is by French startup Ionosys. The band encrypts and stores identifying information like passwords and is activated by the owner’s biometric data – a fingerprint and pulse. The device won’t activate on an unauthorized user’s wrist.
Here’s where it gets a little morbid. “If you remove the band from your wrist, or if you die wearing it, or if your arm gets cut (off), it will lock because there won’t be a blood pulse,” says Ionosys co-founder Anthony Le Pichon. “Thanks to that system, we can make sure that it is the owner – and no one else – who is using the device.”
SmartSafe can wirelessly access devices, software, applications or websites. The wristband communicates with other devices thanks to NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy. It can also be used to allow or restrict access to doors. “In fact, as long as the wristband is untransferrable, we can develop many uses responding to the needs of different industries,” Le Pichon says. “This product can be used by any business needing to secure any data or location. It can be integrated in a security system.”
Le Pichon says SmartSafe is not a gadget. “It answers actual needs as far as security and simplicity of use are concerned. The fact that it is absolutely untransferrable makes it the most secure of any solution on the market.”
Ionosys hopes to make SmartSafe commercially available within a year. Le Pichon says the company found potential clients, partners and investors at the Consumer Electronics Show.
“The feedback from people at CES was very encouraging,” Le Pichon says. “It would not surprise me if SmartSafe technology is utilized by automotive, home security, and airline companies to better secure their clients as well as their businesses. Governments all over the world could implement this technology in their operations.”


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from BLOOMBERG NEWS:
May 6, 2015 — Pity poor Sauternes. The Bordeaux region’s unfashionable sweet white wines are always trying something new and controversial to appear cool and with-it to attract drinkers.
The latest attempt is the just-launched SO Sauternes(€18), a new, lighter style of the luscious white intended for mixing with Perrier over ice as an aperitif cocktail. If it’s a success at bars in France, it will come to the U.S. and U.K.
What a waste: The combo is light and vaguely refreshing, but the golden-hued, opulent wines from Sauternes and neighboring Barsac are better than ever, even sublime. And they’re one of the wine world’s great bargains. Deeply fruity and sweetly tart when young, they age brilliantly. Older vintages taste like liquid crème brulee.
So why are they neglected…?
April 27, 2015 — Pink-wine season is almost upon us. In recent years, dry rosés have become so essential to drinking al fresco that the wine is practically a synonym for summer. The craze is the wine success story of the past decade. But much of the rising tide has only elevated low-price rosés. Now many important wine houses are trying to enter the market with premium-price, luxury versions.
It was only a matter of time, really. Last year sales of expensive rosés (translation: over $20) grew 41 percent in the U.S., compared with 1 percent growth for all other wine categories.
And last May, a single bottle of a U.S.-made rosé — 1995 Sine Qua Non Queen of Hearts — sold for $42,780 in a Winebid.com auction.
April 21, 2015 — For weeks I’ve been combing through hundreds of wine lists from restaurants around the globe in my role as judge for the World of Fine Wine’s annual wine list awards.
My first takeaway: The heavy leather-bound wine tome stuffed with staid, predictable reds and whites is, happily, in deep decline, if not a fossil.
Deconstructing the elements that make one list great and another completely mediocre, I realized a brilliant selection of wines was only part of what I was looking for.
Fairly quickly I developed a surprisingly long list of pet peeves: misspelled wine names, missing vintages, preachy essays, exorbitant pricing, and stupid jokes and comments. No one really wants to know that a guest at Scottsdale’s Cowboy Ciao described its list as “better than pornography….”
March 31, 2015 — Several thousand people from around the world are in Bordeaux this week for the annual spring rite of en primeur, roaming from the Medoc to Graves, from Pomerol to Saint-Emilion to get a first taste of the 2014 vintage.
The wines are still aging quietly in barrels as merchants assess which ones to offer their clients as futures, and journalists furiously scribble their tasting notes.
Overall quality looks to be pretty good. The vintage story is a familiar one: a cool, damp summer with the grapes finally ripened by the “miracle” of September sun.
No one is calling 2014 a great, must-have “vintage of the century,” as they labeled 2010, 2009, and 2005….
from BLOOMBERG MARKETS:
March 30, 2015 — After golf ball–sized hailstones battered vines at Château d’Issan in Bordeaux for two years in a row, managing director Emmanuel Cruse was in the market for something—anything—that might protect his grapes. That’s when he decided to try a device that promises to prevent hailstones from forming, Bloomberg Markets reports in its April 2015 issue. Different types of hail cannons, as they’re known, have been around for more than a century in France, even though it’s far from clear they do what they’re supposed to do.
“We had to do something,” Cruse recalls. “Storms destroyed 70 percent of our grapes in 2008 and 2009. Each of those years, we produced less than 6,000 cases of wine,” compared with the typical 19,000 cases. The total financial loss to this third-growth estate in the Margaux appellation was almost €3 million ($3.4 million), Cruse says. Insurance paid out just one-fifth of that.
So Cruse invested €150,000 in two cannons that are now permanently installed in his vineyards….
March 3, 2015 — Australia’s thick, jammy Shirazes, cheap fruity/oaky blends from industrial producers, and cellar-wizard winemaker philosophy have long shaped that country’s wine image abroad – and never appealed to me.
So what turned me into an Aussie wine fan? The stunning new wave reds and whites I tasted not long ago on visits to two cool-climate valleys. They reminded me once again how diverse a wine country Australia is and showed me what I hope is the face of its vinous future.
I found dozens of ambitious young-gun winemakers, who are ignoring fruit-bomb styles and lashings of oak for leaner, subtler wines. And instead of blending grapes from different regions, they’re embracing single vineyards….
from The World of Fine Wine:
Issue 47 – 2015 — I admit it: I’m a wine romantic. I respond to those special landscapes in wine country, the rows of gnarled vines tended by passionate families attached to their land for generations, the ever-repeated miracle of clusters of grapes being transformed into a drink that reflects their patch of ground, the dark cellars of cobwebbed barrels that hold history in liquid form. The wines that most capture my imagination seem imbued with a kind of meaning that no other beverage can match, their tastes conjuring cultural values that often tap into deep emotions.
My first visit to a California winery, several decades ago, was just the type of wine experience that fosters that kind of romantic view…
© 2002-2015 Elin McCoy. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction of images or texts in this site without written permission.


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Report: Bentley confirmed to produce a Mulsanne Speed
Bentley is reportedly working on its brand image by being a standard of “sporting luxury,” ushered in by the recent Continental GT3 from not too long ago. Another example of this effort is the recent Continental GT Speed, a more high-performance yet, still luxurious version of said Continental. And to continue with the trend, AutoExpress apparently learned that the Flying B is looking to Speed up its Mulsanne as well, continuing with a previous rumor.
It will debut at the Paris Auto Show later this year with a more potent version of its twin-turbo 6.75L V8 engine with around 550bhp on tap. A 0-62 time of less than five seconds is expected for a top speed of at least 200 mph.
In addition to the extra grunt under the long hood, the Mulsanne Speed will gain sportier suspension and a quicker steering rack. Don’t forget the usual dollop of exterior changes as well.


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Rare books dealer Scholium 'could double or treble in size' as it is set to float on AIM market
Rare books dealer Scholium, run by a member of the family behind university bookshop Blackwell’s, is to float.
The firm, named after scholia – notes in the margin of ancient manuscripts – will announce its intention to float on the AIM junior market on Monday.
It plans to raise £10million by placing new shares in a deal valuing the company at between £16million and £20million.
Books: Scholium will announce its intention to float on the AIM junior market on Monday
Scholium will use the proceeds to buy new books for its Shapero Rare Books outlet, which once sold the fourth bible ever printed for £1million, and to fund commissions paid to specialist dealers to match books with collectors.
Scholium’s chief executive is Philip Blackwell, a direct descendant of Benjamin Blackwell, who founded the bookshop chain in Oxford in 1879.
He said the business could ‘double or treble in size quite quickly’, thanks to London’s status as a centre for wealthy collectors from around the world.
‘We have a customer base to die for. Any City institution would bite its arm off for our mailing list.’
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The adidas Yeezy Boost 700 has had an interesting rollout since its debut in 2017. Now, adidas is going all in on the silhouette. Check out the new “Analog” colorway releasing next Spring with Yeezy Season 8.
The adidas Yeezy Boost 700 is just beginning its life cycle. This year held the widest release yet of the OG “Waverunner” colorway, as well as the debut of the new “Mauve” look. Additionally, the unreleased V2 version is rumored to release sometime in the coming months, though this rumor has been somewhat dormant in recent weeks. However, today the YeezyMafia took to Twitter to announce the release of yet another Yeezy Boost 700 V1 colorway.
The Yeezy 700 releases are starting to stack up. Yesterday’s unveiling of a third new colorway came as a bit of a surprise, as many Yeezy fans expected Kanye and the adidas team to transition back to the more lightweight 350 models. However, they continue ahead with the oversized 700. This week, we have our first look at third colorway expected to drop as a part of Yeezy Season 8. Titled “Analog”, the new look is very similar to the “Salt” colorway that was previewed earlier this week. The new look covers the Yeezy Boost 700’s multiple layers in a variety of shades of white across the entire silhouette and capped off with a solid black outsole.
ADIDAS YEEZY BOOST 700 “ANALOG” RELEASE INFORMATION
The newly leaked adidas Yeezy Boost 700 “Analog” has not yet been given a release date, though they are rumored to release sometime in Spring 2018 as a part of Yeezy Season 8. The smooth new off-white look will likely retail for the same $300 price tag as the original, and launch from both adidas and select retailers. Check out the YeezyMafia’s mockup below for a better look, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more adidas Yeezy release news.
UPDATE: The adidas Yeezy Boost 700 “Analog” has been leaked in early images by Hanzuying ahead of the shoe’s anticipated April release date. The new pictures show the shoe decked out in various white and cream-colored tones, making sort of a true triple white colorway for the Yeezy 700. Check out the photos below for a better look, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more information on when they’ll be available.


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In the beginning there was Google Wallet. Now there's Android Pay, unveiled by Google today.
How are they different? Well, Android Pay is something you can use to make retail purchases just about anywhere. Wallet is primarily for exchanging money with friends and acquaintances, although Wallet users can upgrade to Android Pay.
Like other wallet programs, Android Pay stores gift cards, loyalty cards, and so forth on your phone, allowing you to pay just by tapping the phone anywhere "tap-and-pay" payments are accepted. It uses near-field communication, a capability built into most current-generation smartphones.
If Android Pay sounds familiar, it's probably because it sounds a lot like Apple Pay, which, in fact, is virtually the same product except it's for Apple phones.
"Android Pay works with all NFC-enabled Android devices (running KitKat 4.4+), on any mobile carrier, at every tap and pay ready location across the US," Google said in its announcement today. Android Pay will support credit and debit cards from the four major payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.
If you’re an existing Google Wallet user, Google says you’ll be able to access Android Pay through an update to your Wallet app. For new users, Android Pay will be available for download on Google Play in the next few days, and will come preinstalled on new NFC-enabled Android phones from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless.


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Disney recently announced that they will start selling new commemorative Star Wars drinking glasses at Disneyland beginning May 4th. The new glasses feature Star Wars favorites new and old including Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, BB-8 and a Stormtrooper.
The release of the new Star Wars glasses are part of Disney’s May the 4th celebration. According to WDW News Today, they will be available for purchase at Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port and Galactic Grill for $12.99 with an additional menu purchase.
Disney Park(s) in this Post:Disneyland Park
- What is Disney Doing for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary?, February 24, 2021
- When Will Disneyland Reopen?, February 23, 2021
- 2021 & 2022 Walt Disney World Vacation Packages Now Available!, December 31, 2020
- Disney+ Upcoming Movies and Shows with Release Dates, July 28, 2020
- When Will Disney World Reopen?, April 20, 2020


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Last week, GM Authority was first to report that General Motors has filed to register “Symboliq” and “Cadillac Symboliq” as trademarks for a future Cadillac electric vehicle. Today, we’re back to report that The General has also filed to trademark “Optiq” and “Cadillac Optiq”.
The new names were filed on July 22nd with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, and both the singular “Optiq” and the phrase “Cadillac Optiq” were filed. The filings list “Motorized land vehicles, namely automobiles” as it relates to the Goods and Services in which the names will be used.
|Language of Application
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|July 22, 2020
Optiq is believed to be one of three as-of-yet unnamed future Cadillac electric vehicles being planned for the next few years, as outlined in the recent General Motors Sustainability Report.
GM plans call for at least five Cadillac EVs to launch between the 2021 and 2025 calendar years, as follows:
- Cadillac Lyriq – a midsize crossover about the size of the current Cadillac XT5
- This will be the model that launches Cadillac’s EV efforts
- Cadillac Celestiq – a full-size, hand-built flagship sedan with a starting price around $200,000
- An unnamed compact crossover to slot under the Lyriq, roughly the size of the current Cadillac XT4
- An unnamed three-row crossover to slot above the Lyriq, about the size of the current Cadillac XT6
- An unnamed full-size SUV that will be an electric variant of the Cadillac Escalade
As of this writing, it is unclear which one of the latter three Cadillac electric models will wear the Optiq name.
The Cadillac Optiq name takes after the brand’s latest EV nomenclature, which moves away from the CT# and XT# nomenclature currently used for cars and crossovers, respectively. Instead, the new naming scheme will use the “iq” suffix, which “signals that Cadillac is bringing a different type of vehicle to market, one that works in concert with man, nature, and machine,” according to Cadillac’s head of global brand strategy, Phil Dauchy.


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To no one's surprise, the Federal Communications Commission unanimously agreed yesterday that competition in the telephone industry has proved to be a good idea.
After a six-year study of the 23-year-old gradual deregulation of the industry, the FCC said that the Bell System's challengers and the government efforts to allow marketplace factors to erode the telephone industry monopoly have benefitted the general public.
"I think the general direction toward relying on the competitive environment and withdrawing from detailed government supervision of telephoned services as desirable and here to stay," FCC Chairman Charles Ferris said in an interview yesterday.
In ending its study of the effects of competition, the commission concluded that the "record is clear that no immediate adverse harm has been demonstrated."
The FCC said that competition is "giving consumers both lower prices and innovative products and services."
Specifically, the commission cited competition in the sales of the telephones used by the general public, the growth of private-line telephone service, the use of innovative pricing practices for local service, and the separation of revenues and expenses by intrastate and interstate companies as examples of the industry's successful adaption to competition.
Pic Wagner, a spokesman for American Telephone & Telegraph Co., said the report was a "reaffirmation" of the FCC's direction. "We recognize we face competition in just about all aspects of our business and we will continue to provide the services consumers want and need," Wagner said.
On the variety of telephones the general public can now purchase, the most widely recognized area of new competition, the FCC said the ability of new companies to enter the market "has hastened innovation with no appreciable deleterious effect upon anyone."
Further, the commission said the growth of that segment of the industry "is further evidence that there were unmet customer needs prior to the introduction of customer-provided equipment."
Ferris said the report demonstrates that commission resources can be used in more productive ways than trying to regulate all facets of telephone service.
"To double check and play phantom accountant to every telecommunications company we regulate is an extraordinarily difficult task," Ferris said. "The basic notions of the free enterprise system can provide the checks and balances to determine whether consumers are paying a desirable price for what they're getting."
The report could provide impetus to two other FCC efforts to deregulate segments of the communications marketplace.
If both inquiries, one involving basic telephone service and the other primarily dealing with private-line carriers, conclude with the adoption of a pro-competition scheme, virtually no segment of the telephone industry will still be subject to strict federal regulation.


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Ask Tesco Plc Chief Executive Officer Philip Clarke how he plans to stop budget food stores from taking more of his customers and he’ll talk about Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. instead.
Rather than battle retailers like Aldi on price, Clarke is modelling Tesco on the tech giants, building a digital one-stop shop centered around its Hudl tablet that includes everything from movies to banking. A smart phone will join the stable later this year. The aim? Lock in customers by incentivizing them with loyalty points to buy everything from mortgages to grapes from the Cheshunt, England-based retailer.


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Frictionless sharing is getting another big run at the moment. You remember frictionless sharing — it’s Facebook’s gift to privacy or perhaps its repudiation of it depending on your perspective. It emerged as a concept when the social media giant announced Timeline several months ago, before promptly locking Timeline away in a vault because beta users hated it. Maybe Facebook could set up an unfiltered RSS feed of all the horrible feedback it gets about its cavalier approach to your personal sense of experience. What’s good for the goose... and all that jazz.
Timeline has ceased to be the issue, except as a vehicle for the debate. Instead, it is the nature of privacy and sharing and what it means for us that’s dominating the discussion. Over at <i>Techcrunch</i>, Josh Constine suggests that Facebook is ushering in a “monumental shift in how we curate what we share.”
The author notes that users currently expect to actively decide what to share but in future will need to choose how to unshare. Sure, it’s a nice idea, Josh, until you apply it to the 80 bucks worth of crisp new 20s folded in my wallet, and the vociferous consumption habits of my family. “But you never said we couldn’t have it, Dad.” Maybe there is something to the concept of frictionless sharing after all.
Marshall Kirkpatrick, over at ReadWriteWeb , takes a different line. Kirkpatrick says there’s a ‘big backlash building to seamless sharing’ as he calls it and that the whole thing is, “reminiscent of the best-known time Facebook tried to do something like this with a program called Beacon. The company has done things like this time and time again.” Among the criticisms of this approach, the author notes over-sharing, violations of privacy and self-censorship and suggests the overall impact is “a dilution of value in the Facebook experience.”
The point of the article is the suggestion that Facebook is just the first of many companies who will tread this path. “Why do they have to be so creepy about it though?” asks Kirkpatrick. Both writers do a bang up job of making their point and we would only diminish their ideas by trying to rehash them. So go take a look for yourself if you’re the kind of person who likes (or unlikes) privacy outrage flavoured Facebook.
Speaking of bang up jobs...
It’s violent, disruptive, and pointless, and it's the bane of parents with teenage kids everywhere. It is also one of the most successful product launches of any kind in the world. Ever. Call of Duty Modern Warfare Three hit the shelves last week moving $775 million worth of stock in just five days. Apple and Samsung are noobs. Don’t call us again until your next shiny new smartphone includes a ballistic knife and anti-zombie digital tripwire.
Actually, there are no zombies in Modern Warfare Three apparently, but there may be lightsabers according to the Keepers of Gamer Lore in Grok’s household. Then again, they source all their information from the internet, so you should take that with a grain of salt. News.com.au quotes Activision Blizzard’s CEO, Bobby Kotick, explaining COD MW3’s appeal. “The game's entertainment value compared well with other more accessible media options.” he said. Oh yeah that, and the fact that you can take a dude’s head off at a thousand yards from the comfort of your couch while sipping your beer through a straw.
Andrew Birmingham is the CEO of Silicon Gully Investments. Follow him on Twitter @ag_birmingham or blow him away on the xbox, gamer tag Ext3rmin8erBunny.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


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Kohinoor Textile Mills Limited (KTML) registered a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs9.19 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, an increase of over 72% compared to Rs5.33 billion recorded in the same period of the previous year, showed the company’s financial results posted at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday.
The profit translates in to Earnings Per Share (EPS) of Rs21.55 in FY23, in comparison to an EPS of Rs12.93 recorded in the same period last year.
The increase in profits comes in contrast to the ongoing decline plaguing the country’s textile sector.
Earlier this month, a delegation from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association held a crucial meeting with Dr Gohar Ejaz, the Caretaker Federal Minister for Commerce and Industries and Production.
During the meeting, the delegation engaged in a comprehensive discussion with the minister regarding the critical issues plaguing the textile industry. One of the major issues highlighted by the delegation was the energy tariff, which they emphasised should be regionally competitive to ensure the sustainable operation of textile mills and to effectively compete in the global market.
Meanwhile, on a consolidated basis, KTML’s revenue grew by over 18% to Rs104.12 billion in FY23 from Rs87.98 billion in FY22.
However, amid high cost of sales Kohinoor’s gross profit rose by only 7% to Rs25.8 billion as compared to Rs24.13 billion.
The textile firm witnessed a remarkable decline in its other expenses, which reduced from Rs6.26 billion in FY23 to Rs1.79 billion in FY23.
However, the company’s finance cost witnessed a massive hike of over 63% YoY from Rs2.63 billion in FY22 to Rs4.3 billion in FY23.
The increase in cost of finance is attributed to rise in policy rate during the period.
This translated into a profit before tax (PBT) of Rs15.56 billion in FY23, an increase of over 50%.
Apart from the financial results, the Board of KTML announced to invest up to Rs2 billion in its subsidiaries, Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF) and Maple Leaf Capital Limited (MLCL), to meet their working capital requirements.
Kohinoor Textile Mills Limited was established under the Companies Act, 1913. The public limited company manufactures yarn and cloth, processes and stitches the cloth.


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The Commonwealth Games 2018 have kicked off and crowds of sports fans have been travelling across the globe to Australia where the competition is being held.
However, it's not the usual suspects like Sydney or Melbourne which are being thrown into the spotlight - in fact, the host location won't necessarily be on most tourists' radars.
That's because this year's games are being held in picturesque Carrara which sits on the suburbs of the city of Gold Coast in Queensland.
Not to be confused with the Italian city of the same name, Carrara is playing host to the sporting event with the bulk of the action taking place at the Carrara Stadium, also known as the Metricon Stadium.
It's here that the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony marked the start of this year's events, although year-round it's usually the home ground of the Gold Coast Football Club.
Not to mention that handily it's close to a whole host of hotels suiting every budget - no doubt currently booked up thanks to the crowds.
Outside of the stadium, Carrara has plenty on for the sports-obsessed, including three beautiful golf courses. Plus with that glorious Australian sunshine, we reckon it makes for quite a blissful day out.
It's not just sports which is on offer for fans who've made the trek Down Under. For a start, Carrara is renowned for its bustling markets, which boast over 500 stalls offering everything from fresh food to clothes, toys, jewellery and homewares.
They're the ideal destination for whiling away an afternoon, not to mention it's probably a haven for tourists looking to bring back souvenirs for their loved ones.
Of course, it's likely that most spectators won't be staying in the suburbs throughout their trip - after all, they're a stone's throw away from the vibrant centre of Gold Coast.
This breathtaking city has everything you could want for an epic getaway, offering a wide range of attraction.
Thrill-seekers can check out theme parks including Warner Bros. Movie World and Dreamworld , while nature-lovers will have plenty to take in on a leisurely stroll through the Gold Coast Botanical Gardens.
Or of course, they could make the most of the iconic beach hotspots - Surfer's Paradise Beach never fails to be a hit thanks to its picture-perfect sands, crystal-clear waters and the city skyline making for a pretty breathtaking backdrop.


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For : CR Series
Frankfurt am Main, 26 September 2023.
DALLAS, September 19, 2023 – Dobot Robotics, a leading manufacturer of collaborative robots, proudly announces the opening of its U.S. office in Dallas, marking a major milestone in its global expansion strategy.
In factories, they help with palletizing, welding and assembly tasks. While in commercial places, it does latte art, tea making and can even be responsible for unmanned retail.
Dobot’s brand new CRA Series collaborative robots and the CRV500 Smart Camera were officially launched at the Automate Show.
April 15th was the official start day of the popular SUPER GT 2023 Series. The first qualifying round was held at the Okayama International Circuit.
The adoption of collaborative robots is on the rise.
Robotics has been identified as one of the top technology and innovation trends in the Big Ideas 2023 annual report published by Ark Invest.
In 2023, robots have become a familiar sight in various industries.
Read more how RPA metrics help businesses define level of robot performance.
On September 24, 2022, Dobot presented our robust R&D center - the DOBOT manufacturing plant.
Learn top 3 trends in the semiconductor industry and its future opportunities.
Learn more on obstacles in modern manufacturing and how to combat them.
Take part in automation transformation. Let’s work together towards a more efficient tomorrow.


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Germany is one of the world’s largest exporters. Trade shows in Germany and abroad bring together many German firms and their international business partners. Even in this age of ever greater digitisation, trade shows remain an indispensible forum: a forum for companies to build new contacts and step up existing ones. A forum for presenting ideas and innovations, and for advertising products. This applies to young self-employed people and large established companies alike.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has developed a number of different instruments to support trade shows:
The Federal Government can rely on trusted cooperation with its partners from industry. This particularly applies to the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry.
The ‘Trade Fairs International’ magazine also has a very important role to play. For more than 20 years now, it has been delivering full and well-informed news about international trade shows and exhibitions.
May the next 20 years and beyond be just as successful!
Reed Exhibitions, a division of Relx Group, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Mack Brooks Exhibitions in a move that will add an outstanding line-up of industry-leading brands to its global portfolio. It also promises access to innovation and new value in both face-to-face and digital formats for the more than 175,000 Mack Brooks customers around the world.
2018 has become a memorable year for the exhibition and business events industry around the world – with much of the attention on M&A, on changing event formats or “festivalisation”, and on a changing global landscape. As every year, the UFI team has used our association’s Global Congress as well as many separate conversations all around the world to isolate and identify the core themes that we feel will impact the global exhibition industry in 2019. So today, let me share with you “UFI’s 5 trends to watch in 2019”:
The owner of Nice Events Scandinavia, together with co-operation partners, has founded the new holding company the Scandinavian Exhibition Group. The Group’s mission is to offer top class, leading face-to-face and digital meetings to the Scandinavian business community.
German trade fair companies will again be working intensively on their digital offerings in the coming year. Examples from Cologne and Essen illustrate this.
The UFI Global Congress will be coming to Saint Petersburg from 31 October to 3 November. The motto of the 85th edition is “The Dynamics of Transition - Our Industry’s Complex Future”.
While the decade from 1998 to 2008 was one of new beginnings in the global trade fair industry, the years that followed brought setbacks. The environment became more challenging between 2008 and 2018.
The big new trade fair centre just outside Warsaw has been open for three years now. It currently hosts 30 of its own trade fairs and 15 guest fairs a year – on a rising trend.
The Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) has been open for a year now. The event industry in Malaysia has reaped tangible benefits.
Despite recent political tensions in the region, many events are thriving in Qatar. You only need to look at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) to see that.
How do construction system innovations come about? The idea behind them is often very simple. It’s all about gaining attention.
There were some remarkable trade fair appearances in the winter and spring of 2018. Four selected examples at different events demonstrate that.
A new era is well under way in trade fair and event logistics. The International Exhibition Logistics Association (IELA) will be focusing on this at its 2018 Congress in San Francisco.
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TFI - Trade Fairs International - The International Trade Fair Magazine.
© 2006 - 2018 by TFI-Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. All rights reserved. TFI-Verlagsgesellschaft mbH shall accept no responsibility for the contents of external links and other contents.
In the trade fair world data is in most cases still collected on first contact with potential customers - or leads - by manual methods. This can mean that significant data is only captured incompletely or not at all.
Placing certain services for exhibiting at trade fairs in professional hands can save time, money and often also nerves. This approach that will normally also serve to make things more efficient.
There are various fields of expo and event logistics where digital solutions provide noticeable benefits, but they also require an open mind that embraces changes.
How would you like to go straight into an exhibition hall or event venue without first having to get out your mobile phone, look for your ticket or spell your name?


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For the third year in a row the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) has partnered with Northern California’s Distant Cellars to offer a special limited wine release to raise money and awareness for an important cause. The mission of the NFFF is to honor and remember America’s fallen fire heroes, provide resources to assist their survivors, and work within the fire service community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries.
The annual special limited release of Tribute is produced and sold by family-owned and operated Distant Cellars, which donates 30 percent of all Tribute wine sales to the foundation. Since 2013 the annual wine sale has raised nearly $50,000, with this year’s release scheduled to start November 23.
“With a firefighter and an Air Force pilot among the brothers, we understand firsthand the risks our public servants take each and every day, the hardships endured by our loved ones, and the joy that comes from a life of service,” says Drew Gaiser, one of Distant Cellars owners and a Colorado-based firefighter.
“We are excited to partner again with Distant Cellars Winery for this unique and very popular opportunity, and we’re looking forward to building upon the success of the past two years,” said Chief Ronald Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF. “The Gaiser family’s commitment to the Foundation’s mission is deeply appreciated.”
To order a bottle of the 2012 Tribute vintage, or for more information about the fundraiser, visit www.distantcellars.com/NFFF. To learn more about the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, go to memorialweek.wpengine.com.


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TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian and Indian officials conferred on ways to further develop economic and trade relations and cooperation between the two countries.
Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Valiollah Seif and a number of Indian economic and trade officials on Wednesday reviewed ways of expanding mutual economic and commercial cooperation.
Seif arrived in India on Tuesday for talks with the country’s officials on mutual commercial cooperation.
Value of Iran-India trade stood at $41.62 billion in the first five months of the year.
Earlier this month, India announced plans to sign an agreement with Iran for the development of the port and New Delhi intends to lease two berths at Chabahar for 10 years.
India will float a company to develop Iran’s Chabahar Port, a government statement said, as New Delhi aims to take advantage of a thaw in Tehran’s relations with the world powers.
The port of Chabahar in Southeast Iran is central to India’s efforts to circumvent Pakistan and open up a route to landlocked Afghanistan where it has developed close security ties and economic interests.
The planned Indian company will invest $85.21mln in one year to convert the berths into a container terminal and a multi-purpose cargo terminal, the statement said, adding India would consider the participation of Iranian firms if needed.
The Port of Chabahar lies on the border of the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman. It is the only Iranian port with direct access to ocean. The port was partially built by India in the 1990s to provide access to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan.
Iran’s Chabahar port, which is located 72 kilometers West of Pakistan’s Gwadar port, holds immense strategic and economic significance for India. Chabahar and Gwadar ports are located in a common coast and they are 70 kilometers away from one another.
The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.


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Whitbread, the owner of Britain’s hotel chain Premier Inn, is reportedly preparing for a major push into the German hotels market after Coca-Cola acquired its Costa Coffee business. By 2021, Whitbread expects to open 33 hotels with 6,000 rooms in Germany, which would make the company one of Germany’s biggest budget hotel operators.
As per credible sources, the company will be launching its Premier Inn hotel chain in Germany, where it already has one hotel in Frankfurt, with more to open in Munich and Hamburg in the coming months.
Alison Brittain, Chief Executive of Whitbread was quoted saying that the company would use some of the profits from the agreed £3.9bn sale of Costa Coffee into expanding the hotel businesses. However, a huge amount of the proceeds will be returned to shareholders, Brittain added.
According to sources familiar with the knowledge of the matter, like-for-like sales at Premier Inn almost came to a halt in the six months to 30 August, rising only by 0.2% since consumer demand had plunged over the summer. Bookings from leisure travelers went down, but it was balanced by demands from business customers as more than 80% of rooms were occupied over the period.
Reportedly, the company will also be focusing on a super budget hotel brand named Zip. The brand will be a spin-off from its primary Premier Inn brand, with Pod-style rooms of 8.5 square meters that will be made available for £19 a night. The first hotels are set to be launched in Cardiff and Southampton next year.
Concurrently, the company plans to further include five to six boutique hotels to the existing 10, under the hub brand with most of them located in London and the rest in Edinburgh. The rates for hub rooms will start from £69 a night and feature personalized Hypnos beds, customer’s choice of pillows, 40-inch TVs and monsoon showers, cite sources.


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Drew Olanoff was The Next Web's West Coast Editor. He coined the phrase "Social Good" and invented the "donation by action" model for onlin Drew Olanoff was The Next Web's West Coast Editor. He coined the phrase "Social Good" and invented the "donation by action" model for online charitable movements. He founded #BlameDrewsCancer. You can follow him on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, or email [email protected]
During my visit to Israel, I was able to meet up with an interesting duo that started an incubator called “thetime“. Its founders, Ilan Shiloah and Nir Tarlovsky look at startups in a different way, much different than what we’re used to in San Francisco and New York.
The two have no interest in funding companies to build hype and hope for a huge exit quickly. Creating sustainable businesses from the thirty startups in their portfolio is what interests them.
Thetime stands for “Telecom Internet Media Entertainment”, and its focus as an incubator is on early stage investment and offering resources for media-focused companies to become household names in the future. Rushing to an A round is not the name of the game here.
Just this week, global advertising agency McCann Erickson invested $4M in thetime to assist its efforts in building companies that have the ability to impact all aspects of our lives, focusing on digital media.
With both government and private involvement, thetime has invested $20M in 27 different startups, parlaying its experience and connections in Israel to grow out an impressive stable of sustainable business models.
Ilan Shiloah tells me that Israel is still a young company when it comes to technology startups, and that thetime has “the advantage of the hindsight of VCs in the past 5-10 years”. With 10-12 new investments made a year, thetime is building something that’s completely different from your typical incubator program in the states.
For example, Y Combinator has multiple batches of startups a year and its model is to help them build and connect them to the appropriate investors. Of course, there is a lot of mentoring going on in between, but thetime sticks with its companies throughout their entire existence.
The incubator tells me that its strategy starts with an initial $400K-600K investment and is followed up by a secondary investment of $500k-$1M for the companies that start seeing traction. Instead of bringing other investors into the fray right away, thetime puts all of its efforts on growing each company in its portfolio.
With McCann Erickson’s investment, thetime is valued at north of $30M and only has room for improvement. Take a look at the presentation below as the company has some extremely unique views and strategies to build out the startup culture and ecosystem in Israel, and perhaps influence a new global approach to early stage investment.
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